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OPINION

Our view: No clean exit from HB2’s political mess

The foundation was laid when the General Assembly called a special session to rush through HB2, a reactionary measure to an ordinance passed by the city of Charlotte. HB2 rolled back that city’s provision allowing transgender people to use the restroom based on the gender they identify with.

Of course, it also did much more, such as mandating how localities could set pay and benefit standards and removing state courts as a recourse for discriminatory firings.

But to continue, with the foundation laid one wall of the box went up in the form of backlash from major corporations decrying the bill as discriminatory – and in some cases, taking their money and walking away. Another wall went up in the form of national and even international backlash in the media, with North Carolina once again being the butt of jokes. Still another wall is erected by the governor’s own party, which has the real reins of political power in Raleigh and will do what they want to do, regardless of where McCrory stands on an issue. The final wall is coming from evangelicals, which are firing at McCrory for his executive order designed to dampen the fires of this raging controversy.

But the lid was put on by McCrory himself when he signed the measure on the same day it was rushed through the General Assembly with little to no debate and apparently zero consideration of the consequences.

The governor’s executive order regarding HB2 is an attempt to pry that lid off, but in reality there’s little muscle behind it. HB2 is law, and the General Assembly is the body that would have to change it. With real economic damages impacting the state, perhaps they will. However, with safe districts for most incumbents, there’s little threat of political damage, and it seems likely they won’t. If it stays on the books it seems a certainty that down the road it will be eviscerated in the courts.

But in the meantime, the damage to civil dialogue in North Carolina for months to come is virtually guaranteed.

If HB2 is not repealed, many will be angry about a move to enshrine discrimination.

If it’s not repealed, many in the business community will be angry about lost jobs and the state’s tarnished reputation.

If HB2 is repealed, anger among conservatives and evangelicals is guaranteed.

It’s an issue that is dominating the news cycle and conversation in the state. Gov. McCrory pitched a plan on teacher pay that normally would’ve generated quite a few headlines. Instead, it was drowned out by the HB2 din. He announced his nomination for a new SBI director.

You probably didn’t hear about that, either.

Our stand is that HB2 must be repealed.

The challenge for the governor is how to get this boiling pot off the burner. The executive order didn’t do that.

In fact, the governor may be trying to thread a needle where there’s no thread or needle to be had.

He’s in a box.

And the reputation and people of North Carolina are in there with him.